Stitch-separating machine.



Patented May l3, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mm. 5. 1901.)

6 Sheets Sheet 1.

(N0 Model) THk'. MoRms PETERS cov PHOTO-IMO WASHINGTON, o. a

No. 699,679. Patented May l3, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY. STITCH SEPABA'TING MACHINE.

. (Application filed Mar. 5. 1901.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

5M" 6? W A? m: Nana's vn-zns do, PAOYfi-IITMO, WASHINGYON. o. c

Patented May l3, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY;

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1901.)

6 Sheet s-Sheet 3.

1N0 Model.)

m: "owns PETERS co.. PHom-umo No. 699,679, Patented Ma I3, I90? J. B.HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 5. 1901.) 7 (No Model. 6 Sheets $hee-t 4.

I L/ Q/ m: ucmms PETERS co. PHOTO-LIITHO. \vasmnmox, 11cv Patented Mayl3, I902.

J. B. HADAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mm. 5, T901.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

No. 699,679. Patented May l3, I902.

J. B. HAIJAWAY.

STITCH SEPARATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1901.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets$haet 6.

1 l i i ll tirrnn Starts Earhart Fries.

STITCH-=SEPA-RATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,679, dated May 13,1902. Application filed March 5, 1901. Serial lilox 49,941. No model.)

To (tZl whom, it 71mg concern.-

Beit known thatLJOHNB. HADAWAY,a citizen of the United States, residingatBrockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stitch-SeparatingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which make and use the same.

The present invention relates to stitchseparating machines which are nowcomit appertains to monly used in the manufacture of boots and shoes toindent the material between the stitches appearing on the upper surfaceof the projecting edge of the sole.

More particularly, my invention relates to machines of theabove-mentioned class which are adapted to act upon a boot or shoe afterthe seam has been finished, although it is not limited to such machines,but may be applied to other types of stitch separating or indentingmachines, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stitch-separatingmachine in which a rocking or oscillating movement is given to theindenting-tool while in engagement with the work to shape and polish thewhole or a portion of the crown of a stitch, said movement beingsomewhatsimilarto thatimparted to a grooved indenting-tool by a workman inseparating stitches by hand.

\Vith this object in view my invention consists in providingastitch-separating machine with means independent of the work forimparting to the indenting-tool a polishing and shaping oscillatingmovement while in contact with the work. The tool may be of any suitableconstruction which adapts it to indent at least one stitch interval andto shape and polish the whole or a portion-0f the crown of a stitch ateach actuation.

In United States Letters Patent Nos. 653,236 and 067,086, granted to meJuly 10, 1900, and January 29, 1901, are disclosed machines providedwith grooved indenting-tools for shaping the crowns of the stitches andwith means for oscillating the tools while in contact with the work. Inthese machines, however, the work acts as a fulcrum for the tool andconing a feeding movement to the tool stituies a portion of the meansfor oscillating the tool. My present invention is distinguished from theconstruction shown in these patents in that the means for oscillatingthe tool is independent of the work, the advantages of whichconstruction will be apparent from the description hereinaftercontained.

A pressure sufficient to cause the tool to indent the work may beapplied to the tool at any point in its oscillation and may be 0011-tinued during the whole or any portion of the oscillating movement. Itis important that the indenting pressure be positive or unyielding asdistinguished from a yielding or spring pressure, as it has been foundin practice that the requisite amount of pressure to cause anindenting-tool to properly indent the work cannot be satisfactorilyapplied by means of a spring. Also the depth of the indentations is notaifected by the character of the stock, as is the case where thepressure is yielding.

WVhile my invention is not limited in its broader aspects to means forpositively actu ating the indenting-tool to indent the work, a featureof my invention consists in providing a stitch-separating machine withmeans independent of the work for oscillating the indenting-tool whilein engagement with the work and with means for positively actuating thetool to indent the work.

While any suitable means may be provided for feeding the work, I preferto employ the indenting-tool to perform the feeding function and tooscillate the tool during its feeding movement, and to this end afeature of my jnvention consists in providing a stitchseparating machineWith means for impartand simultaneously an oscillating movement. Asimple and eflicient means for imparting these movements to the tool isprovided by mounting the tool to oscillate about an axis above or belowthe plane of the surface of the work, and such an arrangementconstitutes a feature of my invention.

It is important that means be provided for varying the length of the arethrough which the indenting-tool oscillates to adapt the machine foroperation upon stitches of different lengths or to vary the amount ofthe polishing action or the depth of the indentations, and

when the tool is arranged to feed the work by 1 being mounted tooscillate about an axis above or below the plane of the surface of thework to vary the length of the feed movements to correspond to thelength of the stitches. To this end a feature'of my invention consistsin providing means having provision for adjustment for oscillating thetool while in contact with the work.

Preferably the support for the work-is arranged to allow the work to beshifted by the tool to allow the tool to locate itself in the stitchintervals or upon the crowns of the stitches, whether the stitches areof uniform or slightly-varying length. When the worksupport is soarranged, the oscillating movement of the tool, in addition to shapingand polishing the crowns of the stitches, acts effectively to shift thework, as during such movement different portions of the stitch are actedupon, and if the work is not shifted sufficiently by the engagement ofthe tool with the work in one position it will be shifted when the toolassumes another position. This action of the tool I consider one of thevaluable results attained by my invention, especially when the tool isconstructed to shape and polish substantially the whole of the crown ofa stitch at each actuation.

In addition to the broad features of invention above referred to myinvention also consists in the devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described and claimed, which possess certain advantages ofconstruction, arrangement, and mode of operation, as will be obvious tothose skilled in the art.

Having thus indicated the general nature and scope of my invention, Iwill now proceed to describe the specific embodiment thereof illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in frontelevation of a stitch-separating machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a view in side elevation of the machine shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the machine. Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail View of aportion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in frontelevation of the tool-stock. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of thetool-stock, and Fig. 7 is a plan view thereof. Figs. 8 and 9 are detailviews of the adjustable connection between the tool-stock and itsactuating mechanism. Figs. 10 and 11 are views in front and sideelevation of the indenting-tool detached, and Figs. 12, 13, 14, and arediagrammatic Views illustrating the action of the toolin indenting thestitch intervals and in shaping and polishing the crowns of thestitches.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine,supported upon a suit able standard 2. Journaled in standards 3 at therear of the frame 1 is a driving-shaft 4, to which are secured thebelt-pulley 5, the

hand-wheel 6, and the cams 7 and S, from which the moving parts of themachine are actuated.

9 desi nates a slide mounted to reciprocate vertically in suitableguideways in the machine-frame. This slide constitutes a toolcarrier formoving the tool toward and from the work and is depressed to bring thetool into engagementwith thework by means of a coiled spring 10,connected at its lower end to a hook 11, secured to a fixed part of theframe of the machine, and at its upper end to an adjustable rod 12,secured to ablock 13 at the upper end of the slide 9. The block 13 issecured to the upper end of the slide 9 by means of a screw 14 and pin15. The upper end of the rod 12 is screw-threaded and is engaged by anut 16, by means of which the rod can be adjusted vertically in theblock 13 to vary the tension of spring 10. The rod is firmlylocked inadjusted position by means of a set-screw 17, passing through the blockand bearing against the rod.

18 designates the indenting-tool, which is securely clamped between thejaws 19 of the tool-stock 20 by means of the clamping-screw 21. Thetool-stock 20 is carried by the slide 9, and in order to allow the toolto be oscillated while in contact with the work the toolstock ispivotally mounted upon a pivot-pin 22, projecting horizontally from thelower end of the slide. In order to raise the slide 9 to lift theindenting-tool from the work, a lever 23 is loosely pivoted upon apivot-pin 24, clamped in the upper end of the standard 25 of themachine-frame. The rear end of this lever is provided with a rollerwhich engages the cam-groove 26 in one face of the cam 8, and the frontend of thelever is curved and extends beneath a lug 27 on the front faceof the tool-stock 20. In the machine shown in the drawings the spring 10is preferably arranged to press the tool against the work with acomparatively light and yielding pressure not sufficient to materiallyindent the work, and inorder to exert sufficient pressure upon the toolto indent the work a lug 28is provided on the front face of thetoolstock, with which the end of the lever 23 isarranged to engage topositively actuate the tool to indent the work. The engaging surfaces ofthe lugs 27 and 2S and the front end of lever 23 are curved in the arcsof circles, the center of which is the pivot-pin 22, about which thetool-stock oscillates, whereby the tool can be oscillated when the frontend of lever 23 is in contact with either lug. During the first part ofthe oscillating movement of the tool the tool is yieldingly pressedagainst the work by the spring 10 for a purpose which will behereinafter explained, and in order to allow the spring to so act thefront of the lever 23 fits loosely between the lugs 27 and 28, so thatthe tool-stock can move vertically independently of the lever.

For oscillating the tool about the pivot-pin 22 the machine shown in thedrawings is provided with the following mechanism Mounted upon avertically-arranged pivot-pin 29 is a lever 30, the rear end of which isprovided with a roll which engages the cam-groove 31 of the cam 7 andthe front end of which is connected, by means of a rod 32, to the upperend of the tool-stock 20. To allow for the vertical movements of thetool-stock during the reciprocations of slide 9, the rod 32 is connectedto the lever 30 and to the tool-stock 20 by means of ball-and-socketjoints. The connection between the rod 32 and the stock 20 is anadjustable one, whereby the extent of the oscillating movement impartedto the tool may be varied as desired. This adj ustable connectionconsists of a block 33, (shown separately in Figs. 8 and 9,) which isreceived in a curved slot 34 in the upper end of the tool-stock 20 andheld in adjusted position by means of the washer 35 and clamping-nut 36.The block 33 is provided with a spherical socket, which receives therounded end of the rod 32, the socket and rounded end of the rod formingone of the ball-and-socket joints above referred to. The ball and socketjoint between the rod and lever 30 is similar in construction.

In the machine shown in the drawings the work is fed by the oscillatingmovement of the tool. In order to cause the toolto feed the work, thepivot-pin 22, about which the tool-stock oscillates, is located belowthe point of the tool, so that when the tool is in contact with the workthe axis about which the tool oscillates is below the plane of thesurface of the work. By locating the axis about which the tooloscillates below rather than above the plane of the surface of the workthe tool acts to better advantage in performing its shaping andpolishing functions, in indenting the stitch intervals, and.

in locating itself in the stitch intervals and on the crowns of thestitches, as will be obvious from an inspection of Figs. 12 to 15 andfrom the description of the operation hereinafter contained. It is to beunderstood, how ever, that while the construction abovekdescribed is theone which I prefer for the reasons above given my invention is notlimited thereto, except where such construction is specifically recitedin the claims.

37 designates an upper work-support and crease-gage, which is secured tothe frame of the machine and extends into a position to enter the creasebetween the upper and welt of a shoe when in position to be acted uponby the indenting-tool.

38 designates the lower worksupporhwhich, as shown, consists of abeveled-faced disk mounted to rotate freely upon the upper end of aslide 39, mounted to reciprocate vertically in guideways inthe lowerfront portion of the machine-frame. The slide is arranged to yieldvertically, so that the work-support 38 automatically accommodatesitself to dif ferentthickuesses of stock. To allow the slide to yield,it is pressed upwardly by means of a coiled spring 40, surrounding a rod41, mounted to reciprocate in the sleeve 42,screW-. ing through abracket 43, projecting from the frame of the machine, said spring beinginterposed between a projection 44 on the slide 39 and a washer 45,resting on the upper end of sleeve 42. By reason of its screw-threadedengagement with the bracket 43 the sleeve 42 can be adjusted to vary thetension of spring 40, being locked in position after the adjustment bythe locking-nut 46. The rod 41 is secured to the projection 44 and isconnected by means of a rod or wire 47. to atreadle, (not shown,)whereby the slide 39 and work-support 38 can be depressed against thetension of spring 40 to allow the insertion of the edge of the solebeneath the upper workysupport and gage 37.

In order to lock the slide 39 againstdowm.

, ward movement during the indenting action of the tool, a lever 48,pivoted at 49, is provided, the slotted front end of which engages ablock 50, loosely mounted upon a pin 51, extending across an opening inthe slide 39, and the rearend of which is provided with aratchet-toothed segment 52.. Also pivoted at 49 is a locking-lever 53,which is provided intermediate its ends with a pawl or pawls 54,arranged to engage the teeth of theratchetsegment 52 and which isactuated by means of a cam-groove 55 in one of the faces of cam 8, withwhich a roll on the-rear end of the 1ever engages.

The operation of the machine above described will be understoodfrom aninspection of Figs. 12 to 15, which illustrate diagrammatically thedifferent positionswhich the tool assumes and the action of the. toolupon the stitch intervals and upon the crowns of the stitches.

ures is provided groove between the points for shaping the crowns of thestitches. Theoperation ofthe The tool shown in these fig with two.points, the one which first engages with the work .being slightly longerthan the other, and with a IIO machinewhen provided with this tool is asI follows: Starting with the slide 9 raised against the tension ofspring 10' by the engagementof the front end of lever .23 with lug 27 ofthe tool-stock 20 and with the upper end of the tool-stock swung to theright by the action of lever 30, the lever 23 is actuated to'allow thespring 10 to depress the slide 9 and yieldingly press the toolagainstthe work in an inclined position, as shown in Fig, mechanism foractuating the tool-stock is adjusted .to give the indent 12. Preferablythe ing-tool a throw slightly greater than the average length of thestitch in the work beingoperated upon, As a-result the point of the toolwhich first engages the work does not enter the interval between the twostitches,

.but strikes slightlyto one side of theinter,

val and upon therounded endof the stitch in the rear of the one abouttobe acted upon.

, shown in Fig. 12.

thereafter as the tool continues to move the work is fed forward by thetool. The oscillation of the tool brings the other point into contactwith the crown of the stitch,a'nd thereafter the tool slides over thecrown of the stitch while continuing to feed the work until the tool hasassumed a vertical position, when the crown of the stitch will belocated directly beneath the groove of the tool. This positionof thetool is indicated in Fig. 13. The lever 23 is now actuated to cause itsfront end to engage projection 28 on the toolstock and positively forcethe tool into the work, as shown in Fig. 14. By this movement the pointof the tool which first engaged the work is forced into the intervalbetween the stitch being acted upon and the stitchin the rear, and thecrown of the stitch is shaped, as shown in Fig. 14. The groove of thetool is of such a shape as to pinch in the ends of the stitch and raisethe crown of the stitch above its original level. During the continuedoscillation of the tool the tool is held unyieldingly in contact withthe work by means of lever 23, and during such movement the tool slidesover the crown of the stitch while acting to feed the work, therebypolishing and completing the shaping of the crown, and the shorter pointof the tool acts to in dent the interval between the stitch being actedupon and the stitch in advance. The lever 23 is now actuated to raisethe tool from the work, and the parts are returned to their originalposition. By adjusting the block 33 in theislot 34: of the tool-stockthe extent of the oscillating movements imparted to the tool can beadjusted to correspond to the length of the stitches in the work to beindented. Also by adjusting the block 33 the amount of the polishingaction and the depth .of the indentations can be varied as desired. Theextent of the oscillating movements can also be varied by adjusting thetool in the clamping-jaws 19 of the tool-stock. During the first portionof the oscillating movement of the tool the work-support 38 isyieldingly pressed upward by the spring 40, the locking-lever 53 beingin a position to bring the pawls 54 in contact with the fixed pin 56 andrelease them from engagement with the toothed segment 52. When the toolassumes a vertical position, the locking-lever 53 is actuated to causethe pawls 54: to engage the toothed segment 52 and lock the work-support38 from downward movement, and the work-support is held locked duringtheindenting and continued oscillating movements of the tool, the throwof the lever 53 not being sufiicient to clamp the work between the lowerwork-support and the upper support and gage 37, so as to prevent thefeeding of the work by the tool.

The Work-support of the machine shown in the drawings allows the work tobe shifted by the tool in case the tool does not locate itselfaccurately upon the crowns of the stitches or in the stitch intervals.Thus when the tool is forced from the position shown in Fig. 13 down tothe position shown in Fig. 14, if the tool has not located itselfproperly on account of a variation in the length of the stitches,

the tool will press upon the rounded ends or upon the crown of thestitch and force the work forward or backward to bring the stitch beingacted upon into proper relation to the tool. Should the work not beshifted suffi ciently to compensate for the variation in the length ofthe stitch, the continued oscillating movement of the tool will causethe tool to act upon the crown and upon the interval between the stitchbeing acted upon and the stitch in advance to shift the worksufficiently to compensate for the variation in the length of thestitch.

It will be understood that while the machine above described embodies myinvention in its preferred form my invention is not limited thereto, butmaybe embodied in many different constructions without departing fromthe spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. A stitch-separating machine,having, in combination, a work-support, an indentingtool provided withan indenting portion and with a shaping and polishing portion, means foractuating the tool to indent the work, and means independent of the workfor imparting to the tool a shaping and polishing oscillating movementwhile in engagement with the work, substantially as described.

2. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,an indentingtool provided with an indenting portion and with a shapingand polishing portion, means for positively actuating the tool to indentthe work, and means independent of the work for imparting to the tool ashaping and polishing oscillating movement while in engagement with thework, substantially as described.

3. A stitch-separating machine, having,in combination, a work-support,an indentingtool provided with an indenting portion and with a shapingand polishing portion, means for actuating the tool to indent the work,means :for actuating the tool to feed the work, and for simultaneouslyimparting to the tool a shaping and polishing oscillating movement,substantially as described.

4. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,an indentingtool provided with an indenting portion and with a shapingand polishing portion, means for actuating the tool to indent the work,and means for imparting to the tool a shaping and polishing oscillatingmovement to feed the work, substantially as described.

5. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,an indenting tool, means for actuating the tool to indent the work, andmeans for oscillating the tool about an axis below the plane of thesurface of the work to feed the work, substantially as described.

6. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,an oscillating, indenting-tool provided with an indenting portion andwith a shaping and polishing portion, means for adjusting said tooltoward and from its axis of oscillation, means for actuating the tool toindent the work, and means having provision for adjustment for impartingto the tool a shaping and polishing oscillating movement to'feed thework, substantially as described.

'7. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, anindenting-tool provided with an indenting portion and with a shaping andpolishing portion, a work-support arranged to allow the work to shiftunder the action of the tool, means for actuating the tool to indent thework'and means independent of the Work for imparting to the tool ashaping and polishing oscillating movement to cause the tool to actsuccessively on different portions of the work, substantially asdescribed.

8. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, anindenting-tool, a yieldinglymounted work-support, means for actuatingthe tool to indent the work, means for oscillating the tool to feed thework, and means for locking the work-support during the indenting andfeeding movements of the tool, substantially as described.

9. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,a two-pointed indenting-tool, means for actuating the tool to cause oneof the points to indent a stitch interval and means independent of thework for oscillating the tool to cause the other point to indent thenext adjacent stitch interval, substantially as described.

10. 1-Kstitch-separating machine, having, in combination, awork-support, an indentingtool, means for oscillating the tool to feedthe work, means for yieldingly pressing the tool against the work duringa portion of its feedin g movement, and means for positively press ingthe tool against the work during the remainder of its feeding movement,substantially as described.

11. Astitch-separatingmachine, having, in combination, a work-support, atool-carrier, an indenting-tool carried thereby, means for actuating thetool-carrier to bring the tool into engagement with the work, andmechanism for oscillating the tool 011 the tool-carrier to feed thework, substantially as described.

12. Astitch-separat-ing machine, having, in combination, a work-support,a two-pointed indenting-tool, means for actuating the tool to indent thework and means independent of the work for oscillating the tool while inongagement with the work, substantially as described.

13. A stitch-separating machine, having, in combination, a work-support,an oscillating indenting-tool provided with an indenting portion andwith a shaping and polishing portion having its working face set offfrom its axis of oscillation and means independent of the work forimparting to the tool a shaping and polishing oscillating movement,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. I'IADAWAY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED II. HILDRETH, BENJAMIN PHILLIPS.

